Why the Razer Blade Won’t Save PC Gaming

Blair takes a look at where Razer have went wrong with their marketing for the Blade, and why it won't save PC gaming - it doesn't need to.

[cannon8800]

Just the price alone will make many people's wallets hurt.

[fluffydelusions]

Yeah, I can't really picture it being a great seller especially when you can get an Asus Republic of Gamers laptop for half that and still max out the majority if not all games.

[Bull5hifT]

I do love my asus outta the box, it ran crysis on medium great and call of duty 4 smooth and dirt 2 flawless, mass effect 2 and left for dead 2 and Portal 2 great ,max payne 2 awesome, and i bought it in around the end of 08 haa ha

[SilentNegotiator]

The price is bad, but they REALLY screwed up on the marketing. They got the attention of PC gamers who don't like "console limitations" and then they announced a gaming LAPTOP.

They basically pissed all over console gamers by calling them "conformists" and then asked them to buy their product.

And it- oh never mind, I already wrote an entire blog on the matter.

[turgore]

Hmm...for 2800 Dollars you can get
A Ps3, an xbox 360, a wii, a decent computer gaming system (let's make it $1000 worth), a 3ds, a PSvita, a wii U possibly and have money left over to buy games.

[Jormungandr]

When did razer say their product would save pc gaming? I must have missed that part of the advertising campaign. I thought they said pc gaming is not dead.

The article even acknowledges all that in the first paragraph or so and then, completely at random, starts talking about how razer's product will not bring people back to pc gaming.

Again... when did razer say it would? I took it as them saying "pc gaming is not dead... so if you are a pc gamer hang with us and well hook you up with awesome gear." As obvious of a statement as that is sometimes telling people what they already know makes them think you "get" the things that they think only they understand... that you're some one they can hang out with and to shoot the breeze. Marketing is psychology scaled up to international scale and then put into practice.

*sigh* I'm not a big fan of razer... as a matter of fact the only product I have ever bought from then will almost certainly be the last. But I have very little patience for authors putting words in a company's mouths and then proving those words wrong and thinking it makes them look good. It doesn't... it makes them look like idiots... and it makes it look like they think their readers are idiots too.

[OpenGL]

You're right, Razer didn't say anything about this product saving PC gaming, but Kotaku did and I believe that's what most of these articles are responding to.

I personally think that the laptop Razer is making looks quite nice, but has some serious pricing issues, especially considering the hardware it is shipping with. I mean seriously, a dual core i7, Geforce GT 555M, and a 320GB hard drive for $2800? It doesn't even have Blu-ray or an SSD at that price?

It also seems silly that they keep talking about the portability of a 17" laptop that weighs 7lbs.

[Jormungandr]

I totally agree. I mean the touchpade/lcd screen idea is pretty cool... but not for that price. And it *is* rather portable... compared to the 14lb monstrosities most road-warrior gamers end up using.

But... yeah... no... no chance of me buying this (even if it wasn't a razer product) and no chance of any one I know buying this. So I totally agree with you there.

If anything the mistake razer made was using a subject most pc gamers feal really strongly about in the form of a rallying cry... and then when every one was properly whipped into a frothing frenzy they dropped a product next to no one wants as the prize.

I was hopping for something a little more... I dunno... earth shaking. So was every one else. And instead we got Yet-Another-Product-Launch. The history books are overflowing with the horrific bad ends that revolutionary leaders have suffered at the hands of their own followers once the followers realized they were being used... people really don't like that.

Razer may get a lot of attention to their product... but they are going to get a lot of bad attention for themselves. This is going to hurt them in the long run. (and I'm glad of it... they really need to be taken down a notch or 50).

[Asgaro]

Yes they DID say this!

Before the reveal there was a teaser site:
A robotic voice was saying stuff like "this will save pc gaming" and "there won't be any more shoddy console ports".
"We will seek to end the silence and bring a new age of openness and innovation to gaming".

F*CK OFF RAZER!

[Jormungandr]

no it did not say those things. You need to see a doctor to get those voices seen about. Seriously.

[Publicglutton]

PC gaming is NOT dying so this article is a waste of time.

[SonyNGP]

"it doesn't need to."

Game, set and match. Better luck netx time, Razer.

[Skynetone]

its a dual core for $2.800, youed want to be some sucker

[FlameBaitGod]

2.8GHz Intel Core i7 2640M Processor
8GB DDR3 RAM with a 320GB 7200rpm SATA HDD
NVIDIA GeForce GT555M GPU (2GB dedicated VRAM)

[turgore]

If I were Bill Gates I wouldn't buy this product.

[GamersRulz]

save PC from f#$^king what ?

I hate this kind of articles !!!

[chak_]

because it's way too expensive indeed

[Steadyhndz]

Why do you imply that PC gaming is dead? Actually, if you look at all the numbers, the PC gamer population is significantly higher than the console gamer population. The reason for this is simply because American holds about 90% of the console gamer population. Which is roughly about ~23,000,000 and this counts for players who aren't as active as the average gamer btw. So if 90% of console gamers is only 23,000,000 that leaves a total of less than 40,000,000 which is the estimated amount for PC gamers around the world.

[NYC_Gamer]

PC gaming is doing just fine.but that laptop cost too much based on the specs.

[death2smoochie]

LOL..I was just reading about this at Engadget.com
Anyways, the device looks sweet but the hardware inside does not match pricing.
They are pulling a APPLE move here.
Greta looks and uni-body construction and slim for a unit like this, but insane pricing for what you get.

Build a Sager Laptop for $1000 less and you will be running a 6990M GPU inside with a 80GB SSD and 750 HDD inside with the latest Intel i7 2nd generation CPU inside.
It won't be as thin or pretty but it will blow the doors off this Razor easy...

For the same $2800, you can be running two 6990M in XFIRE in that same rig.

[OpenGL]

Well, Sager does offer way more powerful machines but I'm not really a fan of their policy of using desktop CPUs in laptops. There is no point in using a 130W CPU in a laptop when even the highest end laptop GPUs will be a bottleneck long before any of Intel current quad core laptop i7s.

[death2smoochie]

Actually only their dual GPU model Laptops use desktop CPU's.
The NP8150/NP8170 use the mobile versions:

2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM Processor ( 6MB L3 Cache, 2.20GHz)
2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2820QM Processor ( 8MB L3 Cache, 2.30GHz)
2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2920XM Processor Extreme Edition ( 8MB L3 Cache, 2.50GHz )

The NP72080/NP7282 models use desktop CPU's:

Intel® Core™ i7-960 Processor ( 8MB L3 Cache, 3.20GHz, 4.8GT/sec QPI )
Intel® Core™ i7-970 Processor ( 12MB L3 Cache, 3.20GHz, 4.8GT/sec QPI, 6 Cores )
Intel® Core™ i7-990X Processor Extreme Edition

[OpenGL]

@ death2smoochie

Ah, I see that now but I still think it would be a good idea for them to offer the i7-2920XM with their dual GPU solutions as it would reduce the size, increase battery life, and reduce heat / power usage by around 75W, or roughly the same amount of power a high end laptop GPU like the Radeon 6990M uses.

[Ulf]

I listened to the the razer folks yammer on about the blade yesterday at PAX...

The pad is cool, but it basically is the same as an Alienware M14x (or whatever they call their current 14" gaming laptop)

A 555gtx mobile is a good gpu.. for a laptop. A 9800 GT desktop GPU demolishes it though... and that GPU is 3+ years old.

[OpenGL]

Actually the GDDR5 version of the GT 555M should be the same or slightly faster than a 9800GT, but you have to also consider the fact that it has a TDP of less than 50W, while the 9800GT uses over 2x the power and puts out twice as much heat.

The thermal and power constraints of laptops are the main reason laptop CPUs and GPUs are always considerably slower than their desktop counterparts.

[Ulf]

My point was that mobile GPUs suck compared to desktop GPUs. I didn't feel an in-depth explanation of why was necessary. =)

A "gaming laptop" is certainly never going to be something that's going to "save PC gaming", when PC gaming's main draw is that it tends to lead console gaming, in terms of sheer performance.

The GTX555M in the Razer Blade barely bests the X360 GPU (except in unrealistic low-cycle shader scenarios, where memory bandwidth becomes the bottleneck), and when you consider the extra API layering present in Windows (drivers), vs the thinner, well-known hardware layers in the X360, it probably works out pretty close to the same, when actual game performance is measured.

Sad, considering the X360 was released 6 years ago, and never cost anywhere near $2800.

[OpenGL]

Don't kid yourself, even GPUs like the Mobility Radeon 5650 destroy the Xenos and the RSX, and you can find it in laptops that are less than $700.

The Geforce GT 555M has a pixel fill rate higher than the PS3 and 360 GPUs combined.

[Volomon]

Have to agree, I think major corporations coming out with more indepth choices in the PC market similar to Onlive will pretty much kill the console market. A free or cheap (below $100) console which plays all games at max or near max settings that upgrades itself, sound to good to be true? It's coming around the corner. Give it about another 2 or 3 years about 5 to be fully functional and another 2 to 3 to lock down legal issues. Why buy new games when you can buy games for around $30 bucks, better graphics, still has a controller.

The shoe is going to be on the other foot really soon. A free console that has better graphics than Xbox360 and PS3 combined...that's not easy to sneeze at. The only reason consoles have had any traction compared to the PC market is there relatively simple plug and play, and price point entry.

[Netic]

Well it's a step in the right direction with the aluminium body and the thickness less than 1inch but the price is too high. I say Razor should keep the Aluminium uni-body exterior without the fancy programmable led buttons, led trackpad and go with GTX 560M and quad core i7 at 1600$ price tag. For 2800$ I can get dual 6990M gpus in crossfire with 12gig triple channel Memory and a I7 quad core. ( http://www.sagernotebook.co...

For the record I have a laptop that I use for casual gaming and work that I paid 1100$. It's a Dell XPS 15' l502x with a i7 quad core in it and GTX 540M and can play all Valves games (css, TF2, HL2) at max settings with AA and AF and can play BF BC2 at max without the eye candy stuff on. I can play crysis 2 at medium and I was able to play BF3 alpha at low settings at 35fps average.

THe GTX 555M is a good card but not enough for that steep price.

[AfricanWoolf]

Logical fallacy: to save something it must need saving, ergo it is not possible to save pc gaming.

(In a less sarcastic point, several large developers have JUST renewed their vows to dedicate themselves to pc gaming and pc gaming sales are UP)

[Garethvk]

Show me a console that can run The Old Republic and Diablo 3 and I will then say that PC gaming is in trouble. But it is still the best graphics and performance out there plus the best platform for MMORPG games. Look at RAGE multiple discs for Consoles, they were not even sure SKYRIM would work on this generation of conoles, etc. The only reason consoles are so popular is that they are a cheaper option for those who cannot maintain nor configure their PCs not afford a proper system.

[Netic]

Oh and also remember what CArmack said... " The biggest mistake we have made with RAGE is that we thought PC and Console were the same performance wise"

So yea PC gaming is there to stay. Id will always support it like Valve

[Volomon]

That one was kind of fail but I get the point, Diablo 3 is coming to consoles. I also wouldn't be surprised if you could get The Old Republic on them too considering it's not really pushing anything in the graphics area its similar to WOW and that game is what how many years old? Also the amount of discs for consoles is one if you talking about PS3. I think 3 for Xbox 360, but come on it's about the same amount for PC. You just install it.

Even though terrible examples, I agree. PC's will always be top of the line.

[turgore]

Imagine if Diablo 3 would come to consoles (very likely). And I agree, PC has tons of MMOs.
Enjoy your victory while it lasts. When the next gen consoles come around all gaming PCs will be obsolete.

[Netic]

No, consoles tech only last one year. After PCs are way better. WHen PS3 came out it was beating PCs, but a 2008 PC was way better than ps3. It was able to max Crysis and that game didn't came out on consoles due to the fact that it was too heavy on graphics. Also, not a lot of games runs in 1080p at 60FPS plus on consoles while on PC 1080p or 1200p is a standdard resolution. You re telling me that next gen consoles will run at 1080p ??? Wow it was about time. Our PCs will run at 2560x1,600 pixels in those years. Pcs will stay and thats because of low prices, and digital distribution.

[OpenGL]

@ Netic

Actually when the PS3 released the Nvidia Geforce 8800GTX had already been on the market for roughly 2 weeks and it was more than 3x as powerful as the GPU in the PS3.

[Angrymorgan]

@Garethvk I'm a console gamer myself, I would love to get a gaming pc but it's not practical, the reason consoles are so popular isn't because were all dummies that could never learn to maintain a pc, it's because like me, most people don't have time to arse about with pc's, people have busy lives today, juggling jobs, kids, hobbies etc, so people want plug in and play, so get off your high horse buddy, you ain't no genius, just someone with too much free time

[Garethvk]

Shows how little you know. I have four degrees and aside from working 40 hrs a week I run a website, magazine and do weekly radio segments and speaking engagements. My days are usually 6AM til 10 PM so byour take on my having way to much free time is way off.

A PC is not hard to maintain. Update your drivers once a quarter and thats it as it takes all of five minutes. I have all three consoles and have PCs and Laptops. The time it takes to do a software update on a console is often longer than a driver update plus the same game is often 15-20 dollars less on a PC so it is not going anywhere.

[Angrymorgan]

Maybe, self admittedly I do know little about pc gaming, all I know is they ain't as simple as consoles FACT!, and if you can squeeze all that in your working day then good for you, I just found your generalisation of console gamers insulting.
Like I said, I would love a gaming rig, but spending that sort of cash on a pc, when I got mortgage, car, 2yo boy, college fees, holidays etc, etc to pay for. It ain't practical,

[Ulf]

PC Gaming will become all the rage about 5 years after gpus hit the 10nm fab process.

...because it'll take about that long to factor out the least common denominators, which is PC gamings biggest issue.

[ginsunuva]

Teh PC is doooooommmzz!!!!

[Jihaad_cpt]

because PC gaming does not need saving

[o27]

what games are they running on the background??
i've put my eye on that lovely magical RPG with all of those colorful magic hit moves.
does anyone recognize this game ?

[V0LT]

HAHA! Save PC gaming? PC gaming isn't dying. I love these stupid articles.

[lugia 4000]

Save PC gaming....

3.4Million Steam gamers online right now.

This article is stupid.

[Netic]

LOL yea, that's not counting all players on WoW, Starcraft 2 and league of legend

[capcock]

Exactly and steam is just 1 out of many digital services. Steam has more users than PSN and XBL combined.

[jp0249107]

I don't even know why they even thought PC gaming was dead in the first place. I've just recently gotten into it and I've had more new releases, news reads, and mods to download and play than anything even resembling the amount of playtime I got with my console.

Though I will say I'm never getting rid of my console, it has experiences that the PC can't get.

[o27]

what games are they running on the background??
i've put my eye on that lovely magical RPG with all of those colorful magic hit moves.
does anyone recognize this game/ ?

[capcock]

pc gaming needs saving?

[fileman37]

bad move razer -.-"

[V0LT]

There really is no way to track how many PC gamers there actually are out there. Not really and NDP for that. Anyways... Back to Deus Ex on PC.

[neoandrew]

LOL Just check image... http://i.imgur.com/wTTck.pn...

Razor f**k you.

[thespaz]

I already bought 3 PS3s and 1 Xbox 360 so there's no way I can afford something that expensive.

For those who are wondering. I bought a PS3 for my bedroom, a PS3 for the living room (as a blu-ray player/gaming on the big screen), an XBox 360 for Call of Duty (literally, that's all I use it for) and a PS3 for my girlfriend (ain't I a sweet boyfriend?)